by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 69 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for drama & theater arts students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,705 bachelor's degrees in drama & theater arts to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of drama & theater arts for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality theater program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for drama & theater arts students working on their bachelor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat Savannah College of Art and Design if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. SCAD is a large private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Savannah.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career wages of $20,532.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Savannah College of Art and Design
Florida State University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $18,431.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Florida State University
University of Florida is a great decision for students interested in a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.
After graduating, theater bachelor's recipients typically earn around $16,318 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Florida
University of North Carolina School of the Arts is a wonderful choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in drama & theater arts. UNCSA is a small public university located in the large city of Winston Salem.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program make about $21,229 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Located in the midsize suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.
Those drama & theater arts students who get their bachelor's degree from Elon University make $3,576 more than the average theater student.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Elon University
Located in the medium-sized city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population.
Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the theater program earn about $20,762 for their early career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Georgia
Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Emory University
Belmont is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Belmont University
Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at Virginia Tech get $15,788 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Virginia Tech
UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill.
Drama & Theater Arts bachelor's degree recipients from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,688 above the average income of drama & theater arts majors.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
U Miami is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Coral Gables.
Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the theater program state that they receive average early career income of $16,561.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from University of Miami
Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Winchester.
After graduating, theater bachelor's recipients usually make around $17,818 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from Shenandoah University
JMU is a very large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg.
Bachelor's recipients from the drama & theater arts major at James Madison University earn $3,537 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a bachelor’s in drama & theater arts from James Madison UniversityThese are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Drama & Theater Arts Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville, VA |
| 15 | Florida Southern College | Lakeland, FL |
| 16 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond, VA |
| 17 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL |
| 18 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 19 | Samford University | Birmingham, AL |
| 20 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 21 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 22 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 23 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
Explore the best drama & theater arts schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 225 | 533 |
| Georgia | 224 | 388 |
| Tennessee | 220 | 193 |
| North Carolina | 213 | 472 |
| Virginia | 213 | 371 |
| South Carolina | 195 | 161 |
| Kentucky | 187 | 169 |
| Alabama | 184 | 133 |
| Louisiana | 171 | 153 |
| Mississippi | 169 | 44 |
| Arkansas | 167 | 93 |
| West Virginia | 147 | 44 |
Drama & Theater Arts is one of 10 different types of Visual & Performing Arts programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theater Arts | 2,091 |
| Theater Design & Technology | 185 |
| Musical Theater | 161 |
| Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft | 100 |
| Acting | 99 |
| Playwriting & Screenwriting | 55 |
| Theatre Literature, History & Criticism | 10 |
| Directing & Theatrical Production | 4 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 5,505 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 4,090 |
| Music | 3,729 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 2,749 |
| General Visual & Performing Arts | 1,780 |
| Arts & Media Management | 1,287 |
| Dance | 470 |
| Other Visual Art | 81 |
| Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry | 27 |
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